Pakistanis protest US assassination of top Iranian General Soleimani

Pakistanis have taken to the streets in the northwestern city of Peshawar to protest the US assassination of top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

The protesters held portraits of Gen. Soleimani as they rallied, chanting slogans against the United States and Israeli regime. An effigy of US President Donald Trump was set on fire.

They also called on the Pakistani government to clarify its position on US-Iran tensions.

The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement saying that Pakistan will not "let its soil be used against any other state," and will not become part of "any regional conflict."

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has also directed his Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to visit Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States as part of Islamabad’s efforts to defuse increasing tensions in the region.

On January 3, the US assassinated General Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy chief of the Iraqi pro-government Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), near Baghdad airport.

The Pentagon said Trump directly ordered the US military to assassinate the top Iranian commander.

MG